Arleen Auger sings Bellini's Giulietta immaculately

THE SONGBIRD: Arleen Auger (1939 - 1993) is one of the most respected sopranos of the 20th century, and was one of the most recorded. She is known for her impeccable musicianship, interpretive expressivity, and versatility. Auger was born in Los Angeles and played violin and piano as a child. She graduated from college in Long Beach, and after privates studies and competition wins, relocated to Europe. The Vienna State Opera signed her with a debut in 1967 as Queen of the Night, followed by 47 more performances of the role over five seasons. Additional roles in Vienna included Konstanze, Gilda, and Olympia. In the U.S., her debut came in 1969 at New York City Opera, again as Queen of the Night, and she sang just four performances at The Met (Marzelline in "Fidelio" in 1978). Countless operatic, concert, and recital appearances all over the world made up Auger's career, but her largest audience (estimated at 700 million!) was singing "Exsultate Jubilate" at the royal wedding of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, which was televised worldwide in 1986.

THE MUSIC: The best known aria from Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" -- his operatic version of the Romeo and Juliet story which was written for Venice in 1830, is Giulietta's gorgeous cavatina "Oh! quante volte." It introduces the young girl as she is pining for Romeo. It's a serene scene of suspended, dreamy bel canto lyricism that many light lyric and lyric-coloratura sopranos are drawn to.